Apparatus for cleaning bottles



March 6, 1934. J. l.. HERoLD ET Az.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES Filed'June 27, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l u WDM. w TL@ N Mo@ www T T www. M JJM Y March 6, 1934. J. L. HE-ROLD Erm. 1,950,145

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES Filed June 27, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 /A/ VENTO/@ol J 1,. J7/

M www M Mm. JM w March 6, 1934. J, LF HERQLD Er AL .1,950,146

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES Filed June 27, 1929 5 Sheets-SheetI 3 Mal'Ch 6, 1934- J. L. HEROLD Er AL.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES Filed June 27, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nw @uw \N WN March 6, 1934. J, HERQLD Er AL 1,950,146

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES Filed June 27, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ...lll

VEA/Toms; 57 J L. f/QOLD Lf m/ DA n/OM Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES James L. Herold and Joseph W. Dawson, St. Louis, Mo., assignors to Barry-Webmiller Machinery Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June 27, 1929, Serial No. 374,035

13 Claims. (Cl. 15-61) This invention relates to apparatus for oleanreciprocates in the tubular housing. This reduces ing bottles and similar articles. Heretoiore, friction and prevents vibration that would otherbottle-brushing devices have been provided with wise be caused by the rotating brush traveling in Y vertical spindles with brushes at their upper ends, the tube. It is especially important When ruband in the ordinary practice the bottles are inber brushes are used, as the rubber would cling 1Q verted to receive the brushes which move in verto the inner face of a dry tube and impart a jerky tical lines to pass into and out of the bottles. vibration to the tube and soon destroy the brush in this old practice, the brush spindles are roand deteriorate the brushing mechanism. tated While water is forced through the rotating Another object is to produce a simple and highl0 spindles and discharged through the brushes. ly eicient means for alining the bottles with the 6 5 vSuch devices involve the problem of preventing brushing elements. It is most convenient to looseleakage around the rotating spindles; it is diiiily support the bottles in a traveling bottle carcult to lubricate these rotating devices, and a rier which transmits the bottles to the brushurther objection lies in the fact that mechaing device-where they should be alined and sel5 nism for transmitting the rotary motion must lie curely held during the brushing operation. 79 directly below the inverted bottles from which As an illustration of this feature we have the water is constantly discharged during the shown a simple spring-pressed pusher whereby brushing operation. the bottle is rmly forced onto a seat in the bot- Thereiore, one of the objects of the present intle carrier, and thereby alined with the brush.

vent-ion is to supply the water, or other liquid, The open end of the bottle preferably engages 7@ to the brushes in a simple manner, without transthe seat while the pusher acts on the bottom of mitting the liquid through the brush spindles. the bottle, and since the pusher is actuated by This eliminates the necessity of employing stuffa spring, it will cooperate with bottles of differing boxes around the spindles, and it is possible ent lengths, and it can be positively Withdrawn to submerge the driving gearing in oil, as there is by a simple reciprocating member. 5g no danger of the oil entering into the water. An- A further object is to act upon a row of bottles, VVother object is to so locate the brushes and their all at the same time, and to secure the bottles driving members, that these elements will not by members which yield independently of each lle dlISCly belOW the bottles al', the brushing other t0 compensate for Variations in they bot- 80 station. tles. These yielding members may be the pushs@ f In one form of the invention, .the bottles are ers just referred to, each provided with a, spring carried through a Cleansing lluldand then t0 to insure the desired pressure at each bottle. a brushing device WithOut dSChIgl-Ilg all 0f the A similar object is to produce tubular brush liquid Y-'Om the bottles FOP example th? bothousings which likewise yield independently of $165 may be Car-fled m approxlmftel hnzo'nta'l each other to insure the desired contact Where 99 'Positions from the body of Cleansmghqud tf me the ends of the tubular housings engage the brushing del/10e.- the'eb transmttmg hquld m mouths of the bottles to direct the brushes into each bottle to the brushing device which rotates the bottles' in th? lqud The bottle itself thus s erves as Another object is to provide for the absence lo orag(n'i ge of a bottle in the space between the reciprocatn brush and the s ri ressed abutme t, or ing inverted, the brush spindles may reciprocate mher which normalynnlages the c1 osel end in hfrnzqntalle p'llr ofbthgesguji of the sbottle. If there is no bottle present, the may e Simp O y spring-pressed abutment Will overlap the path Another object is to produce a bottle brushing having an Opening to receive the brush when device including a tubular housing Surrounding there isno bottle between these elements. A fur- 'a rotating brush and adapted to, engage the ther obJect 1s to enable the spring-actuated abutmouth of thebottle, so that the brush can freely ment t0 engage a Spring actuated brush-housing pass im@ the bottle, This tubular brush hauswhen a bottle is absent from the space between ing may be horizontal and we have shown how these deVCeS- portions of the cleansing liquid can be transmitted An IIIDOIHII Object 0f the IlVeIliGIl iS 170 'to and retained in the tubular housing where it produce a bottle cleaning device wherein a bottleserves as a lubricant for the rotating brush which serves as a gage member to determine the stroke u@ of a reciprocating brush, or other cleaning member.

It is desirable to brush bottles of different dimensions and to vary the stroke of the brush in accordance with variations in the lengths of the bottles, but there is danger of confusion if the operator is not clearly advised of the size 0i the bottles for which the brush mechanism is adjusted. For example, if short bottles are accidentally fed into the machine when the brushes are adjusted for a long stroke in long bottles, the brushes may be forced through the bottoms of the short bottles, or other injury may occur if the bottles are forcibly struck by the brushing device.

Therefore, it is desirable to use one of the bottles as a gage member, and to expose this bottle to the operator, as a reminder of the sizes or the bottles to be fed to the adjustable brushing device. Moreover, this use of the bottle as a gage for adjusting the brush is a simple, convenient and certain method of obtaining the required adjustment.

`Another object is to provide a brush-operating mechanism including a yielding member through which the power is transmitted to avoid breakage when there is an unexpected obstruction in the path of the reciprocating brush. This obstruction rnay be a short bottle, or a broken bottle, in the bottle carrier.

Further objects are to subject the bottles to successive brushing operations by means of brushes which rotate in opposite directions; to produce a simple and efficient brush-operating gearing which travels in a reciprocating housing, and a simple means for transmitting power from a pulley to the traveling gearing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modiiications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a bottle-soaking apparatus equipped with a brushing device embodying the features of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a motor and pulleys shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on a relatively large scale showing some of the elements of the brushing device. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with some of the parts in section approximately on the line 4-4 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 5 is a view showing some or the parts in Fig. 4 in positions they occupy when there is no bottle in the bottle holder at the brushing device.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the brushing device, with some of the parts in section approximately on the line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a section taken approximately on the line 7-7 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section taken approximately on the line 8-8 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 in Fig. 3, drawn to a larger scale, and showing the bottle serving as a gage for adjusting the brushing device.

To illustrate one form of the invention, we

have shown a brushing device associated with a bottle-soaking machine. The soaking tank, or receptacle 10 shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 contains a body of cleansing liquid, preferably fresh water which appears in Fig. 4.

The bottle carrier comprises bottle holders 11 secured to chains 12 (Figures l, 4 and 8) and this bottle carrier travels through the liquid in the tank 10 to submerge the bottles therein. We have not shown the means for guiding and driving the traveling bottle carrier, as such details are old and well known, and they may be constructed in any suitable manner. In machines of this kind it is customary to impart an intermittent motion to the bottle carrier so that the bottles will stop at the brushing station to receive the brushes, and the intermittent motion may be derived from any suitable mechanism (not shown).

The brushing device includes rotary brush spindles 13 (Figures 4 and 8), each spindle being provided with a brush 14. The rotary brushes are reciprocated as will be hereafter described to pass into and out of the bottles, and if the bottles are arranged horizontally at the brushing station, the spindles preferably reciprocate in horizontal lines at the axes of the bottles.

Instead of supplying cleansing liquid through the moving brush spindles, it is introduced through the mouths of the bottles, and preferably retained in the bottles during the brushing operation. This result may be accomplished in different ways. To illustrate a simple form of the invention, we have shown a bottle carrier which locates the bottles in approximately horizontal positions at the brushing device (Fig. 4), the mouth of each bottle being higher than the liquid level therein, so as to retain a body of liquid in each bottle. The liquid is thus distributed lengthwise of each bottle to lie in the course of the rotary brush 14 which travels longitudinally of the bottle.

More specically stated, when the bottle carrier travels through the body of liquid in the tank 10, some of this liquid enters the bottles, and the carrier then moves vertically from the body of liquid while the bottles lare in approximately horizontal positions, so each bottle carries a body of liquid to the path of a brush. The liquid is eventually discharged into a receptacle 15 (Fig. 1) when the bottle holders 11 are tilted in moving from the vertical course of the bottle carrier to a horizontal course.

We have shown two horizontal rows of brush spindles 13 (Figures 4 and 8) and the bottles pass from one row to the other to receive successive brushing operations. The direction of rotation of the upper row of spindles 13 is opposite to that of the lower row, and this results in a very effective double brushing operation.

The means for rotating the brush spindles 13 comprmes a gear housing 16 (Figures 4 and 6) provided with shafts 17 secured to the respective spindles 13, as shown in Fig. 4, each shaft 17 being provided with a helical gear wheel 18- located in the housing 16. A drive shaft 19 is arranged longitudinally of this housing and provided with driving gearing located between and meshing with the upper and lower gears 18. Fig.

4 shows how these upper and lower gears mesh with a driving gear 20, and it will be understood that this causes the gears 18 to rotate in opposite directions. The drive shaft 19 is provided with a pulley 2l (Figures 1 and 6) to which power is transmitted Yfrom a belt 22, as will be hereafter described.

The-gear Y*housing 16'is carried by large :sleeves -23 whichreoiprocate on horizontal guide .rods 24 to move .the brushes into Yand out of the bottles.

The means for reciprocating this gear housing comprises connecting rods 25 (Figures 3, 4 and 6) :located at opposite sides of the machine, each 'of said-rods being pivoted to one of the sleeves 23. v26 and 27 designate large rocker arms located at opposite sides of the machine and secured to a shaft `28 'which extends across the machine, the upper ends of said arms being pivoted to the con- -necting rods '-25 to impart areciprocating motion to the fsleeves .23 which carry the gear housing 16. The arms 26 and 27 are united by the rock shaft 28, and these arms are oscillated through the medium of a rod 29 having one of its ends pivoted to the arm 26 in a special lmanner to be hereafter described, the other end of said rod 29 being connected to larshort arm 30 shown in Figures 1 and 3.

We will now refer to a means whereby power is transmitted .from a motor 31 (Figures v1 and 2) to the arm 30. A belt 32 transmits power from apulley 33 on the motor to a pulley 34 on a long shaft 35, the latter being provided with a worm 3.6 -meshing with a large gear 37 on a shaft 38. A disk 39 is secured to the shaft 38 (Fig. 1) and .provided with a crank pin 40 connected to the arrn`30 by means of a connecting bar 41, so as to -oscillate the arm 30, in response to the rotary motion of disk 39.

It will now be understood that the mechanism .just referred to is driven by the motor 31 to reciprocate the gear housing 16 which moves the brush spindles .13 into and out of the bottles. In .actual practice, the path of a brush spindle may `be obstructed by a relatively small bottle, or by a broken bottle, or other obstruction. The reciprocating motion is, therefore, yieldingly transmitted to the brush spindles, and to illustrate this feature, Ain Figure 3 we have shown a yielding device 'through which power is transmitted from the arm 30 to the rod 29.

This device comprises a spring 42 seated in a yoke 44 slidably mounted on the rod 29 and pivoted Yat '45 to the arm 30. This arm 30 moves to the left ifrom the position shown in Fig. 3 to withdraw the brush spindles 13 from the bottles, and at .this time, the :yoke 44 engages rthe head 43 to pos'rtively transmit power through the rod 29. However, when the arm 30 is moved in the opposite direction to insert the brushes into the bottles, the power is yieldingly transmitted through the compression spring 42.

-46 designates a pulley (Fig. 1) on the shaft 35 to drive the belt 22 which transmits power to the pulley'21 on the reciprocating gear housing. The lbelt 22 travels with the gear housing and moves .lengthwise of the pulley 46. To provide for this motion of the belt, guide rolls 47 (Fig. 1) are secured to the gear housing so as to travel therewith, and the twisted belt 22 is engaged with said rolls so as to also travel with the gear housing.

The bottle carrier is adapted to receive bottles of different lengths, and the brushing device is designed to act upon the different bottles. In Vbrushing long bottles, the horizontal motion of the brush spindles 13 should be relatively long, and the stroke of these spindles should be reduced when smaller bottles are to be brushed, :the object being to move the rotating brushes :into the bottles and .into contact with the closed lends thereof, without exerting undue pressure on these closed ends. Before describing the means if or .alining "and positively 'holding' ithe `bottles during the brushing operation,'we'wi1lrefer to .aigage whereby the stroke -of the lbrushesmay. be varied for bottles of different lengths, .and .1in this connection it will be interesting to observe that one of the ybottles serves as a .gage or 'indi-- cating member in making the adjustment, :and that this bottle `is exposed to the operator as fa reminder of .the size of the bottles to be fed into the machine.

This gage is shown in Figures 1, 3, 6 and 9, wherein the bottle 48 appears as a gage or indicating member. A rod 49 pivotally connects the lever arm 26 to its operating rod 29, and this arm 26 is provided with a curved slot 50 uin which'the :pivot rod 49 may be adjusted toward :and .away from the axis of the rock shaft 28, to vary )the Vstroke of the arm 26, thereby varying .the :stroke of the gear `housing 16 which carries the brush spindles 13. The gage for this vadjustment comprises a lug 51 on the arm 26 (Figures 3 and T9.) said lug being .provided with a yielding seat 52, preferably made of rubber, adapted to Lreceivean'd interlock with the mouth end of the bottle 48.

The bottom of this bottle engages a seat 53 `hav- 100 ing an extension v54 which surrounds vthe 'pivot pin 49. An adjusting screw 55, 'mountedin'alug l56, engages the bottom of the extension 54. :57 designates a nut mounted on the 'screw 55 and fengaging the lug 56 to lock the screw. 1:05

termining the stroke of the brush spindles. 'The :15

stroke depends upon the location of the pivot 49 relative to the axis of the 'shaft .28 at .the lower end of the lever 25 which carries the gage member, the stroke of the brush beingshortened -by moving this pivot 49 away from saidaXis. slot which receives the pivot 49 is so formed i that the stroke of the brushes maybe `predetermined by locating one Vof the lbottles between the gage members 52 and 53 and then adjusting the screw until the gage member 53 isrmly seated on the bottom of the bottle. The brushes will then be moved the distances required to properly brush bottles of the size shown by the vgage-bottle at 48.

Each bottle holder 11 is provided with parti-- The fris tions 58 (Fig. 6) whereby it is divided into fcom- 125 partments to receive a horizontal row of bottles,` y and each compartment is open at the ends of the bottle contained therein. The bottle holders 'a're thus adapted to receive bottles of different lengths,

but the bottles are loosely supported in the yh'old- ,130

ers. We will new show how the loose bottles 'may be positively alined with the brush spindles '13 and firmly held during the brushing operation.

59 designates tubes arranged in horizontal rows,

and alined with the brush spindles 13, as shown 3135 by Figures 4, 6 and 7, each tube being provided with an abutment collar 60 adapted to engagethe closed end of a bottle, as shown in Fig. 4. The

tubes 59 are slidably mounted on stationary tubes x 61 containing springs 62 tending to force the coluo bottle. The walls of the bottle holder divergenza -from this seat 65, so as to direct the mouth of the vpushers from the bottles.

guides 80. `on the rods 24 but they are normally stationary bottle onto the seat.

Each tube 59 and its abutment collar 60 serves asa .pusher which acts on the closed end of the bottle to shift the bottles laterally and longitudi- `naily to force its mouth end onto a seat 65, there- 'byalining the bottle with a brush spindle 13, and

also securely holding the bottle during the brushing operation. This is illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein the spring 62 is acting on a tube 59 to force the collar 60 onto a bottom of a bottle.

1 It will be observed that each bottle is held by one of several pushing devices which act upon a horizontal row of bottles, and that these spring;

Vpressed pushing devices yield independently of each other to compensate for slight variations in the lengths of the bottles. 1t will also be observed that the same pushing devices will act -upon either long or short bottles, for the springs 62 are free to move the tubes 59 until the collars 6G engage the ends of the bottles.

The means for controlling and releasing these pushing devices comprises abutment collars 66 on the slidable tubes 59, and a reciprocating device adapted to engage these collars to withdraw the rllhis reciprocatingdevice comprises sleeves 67 slidable on the horizontal guide rods 24, and a pair of angle bars 68 connecting said sleeves, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6, said angle bars being adapted to engage the collars 66 to withdraw the pushing devices from the bottles. The means for reciprocating the sleeves 67 comprises a cam 69 on the rotating shaft 38 (Fig. 3), a lever 70 pivoted at 71 and having a curved face 72 engaged by the cam 69, and a rod 73 connecting said lever to a `bell crank lever 74 on a rock shaft 75. This bell crank lever lies at one end of the shaft 75 as shown in Figures 3 and 6, and it has a downwardly extending arm connected to one of the sleeves 67 by means oi a link 76. The other end of shaft 75 is provided with an arm 77 (Figures 4 and 6) connected by means of a link 78 to the other sleeve 67.

The sleeves 67 are thus reciprocated on the stationary guide rods 24 to impart a corresponding motion to the angle bars 68 which connect said sleeves.

When the angle bars are moved to the right from the positions shown in Fig. 4, they strike the abutment collars 66 to withdraw the pushers 59, 60 from the bottles, thereby releasing the bottles and permitting the bottle carrier to` continue its traveling motion. The angle bars 68 remain in Contact with the collars 66 until the traveling bottle carrier completes one step of its movement, at which time another row of bottles lies in the path of pushers 59, 60, whereupon, said angle bars 68 move to the positions shown in Fig. 4, thereby permitting the springs 62 to force the pushers into engagement with the bottles.

79 designates brush housings in the form of tubes (Figures 3, 4, 6 and 8) slidably mounted in guides 89, said guides being supported by collars 8l having depending arms 82 secured to the guides. The collars 81, therefore, support the Said collars areadjustably mounted to retain the guides 80 in i'lxed positions. There `are two collars 81 on each rod 24, Vand the arms 82 depending from these two collars are spaced apart by means of tubes 83 located directly between said arms 82, as shown in Fig. 4. Long Ystrike the mouths of the bottles. Vthe tubes are stopped, and the brush spindles conone ofthe rods 24 by means of a set screw 85, as shown in Figures 3 and 6. `The guides 80 are thus secured to the machine, so that they can be moved longitudinally of the tubes 79 to give access to the brushes, but said guides 89 are normally station- H80 ary.

Each of the tubes 79 is adapted to extend into and engage the mouth of a bottle, as shown in Fig. 4, to direct the reciprocating brush into the bottle. Each tube 79 carries an abutment collar 86, and a spring 87 is interposed between this collar and one of the stationary guides 80 to yielding.y force an end of the tube 79 into engagement with the bottle. This end of the tube directs'the brush into the mouth of the bottle.

There are two horizontal rows of the tubes 79, as shown in Fig. 8, but the upper row is omitted in Fig. 5 to more clearly show some of the other parts, and only a portion of the upper tube 79 is shown in Fig. 4.

The springs 87 tend to move all of the tubes 79 toward the bottles, and they yieldingly hold said tubes in engagement with the bottles during the brushing operations.

IThe means for moving the tubes 79 away from the bottles comprises a pair of upper and lower bars 88 (Figures 4, 6 and 8) arranged transversely of the machine, and adapted to engage the collars 86 on the upper and lower tubes 79. The ends oi the bars 88 are secured to arms 89 depending irom collars 96, the latter being slidably mounted on the stationary guide rods 24.

The means for transmitting power from the operating mechanism to the collars 90, so as to withdraw the tubes 79 from the bottles, is shown Ifo most clearly in Figures 6 and 8. Rods 91 are pivoted to the reciprocating sleeves which carry the gear housing 16, and the free ends of these rods are provided with heads, or nuts, 92. Said I rods 91 are slidable in arms 93 which extend from 115 the collars 9i), as shown in Figures 6 and 8, and the heads 92 are adapted to engage said arms to move the collars on the guides 24, thereby moving the long transverse bars 83 which engage the 4 i collars'86 to withdraw the tubes 79 from the bot- 120 tles. This action occurs when the gear housing 16 is moving to the left from the position shown in Figures 4 and 6 to locate the brushes 14 in the tubes 79. H

More specically stated, when the gear housing 16 moves to the left from the position shown in Fig. 4, the rotating brushes 14 are withdrawn from the bottles and located in the springpressed tubes 79 while said tubes are stationary I i and in contact with the bottles.

Thereafter, the heads 92 on the rods 91 engage the arms 93 on the collars 90 (Fig. 6), thereby transmitting motion to the transverse bars 88 which engage the collars 86 on the tubes 79. These tubes and the rotating brushes then move longitudinally at the same time, and at the same speed, while the brushes are rotating in the tubes.

During the reverse motion, when the gear housing 16 moves toward the bottles, the springpressed tubes '79 and the brush spindles 13 move longitudinally at the same speed until the tubes Whereupon,

tinue inY motion to move the brushes from the tubes to the bottles, while the heads 92 on the rods 91 move away from the arms on the collars 90.

Some of the operations at the brushing device will now be briey reviewed. When the bottles reach the paths of the brushes, the spring pressed .y pushers including abutment collars 60 are reh leased to engage theclosed endsv ofl the bottles, and these pushers force the mouths of the bottles onto the seats 65 inthe bottle holders 11, thereby alining each bottle with one of the brush spindles 13, as showny in Fig. 4. The springpressed tubes '79 are then seated in the mouths of the bottles, and the brushes pass from said tubes to the interiors ofthe bottles where they rotate in the bodies of' liquid confined in the bot- IGS'.

During the reverse motion, the brushes are withdrawn from thebottles, and the tubes '79 and pushers 60 are released from the opposite ends of the bottles.

Fig. 5 illustrates a condition which exists when there is no bottle between a spring-pressed tube 79 and the spring-pressed pusher associated therewith. These yieldingelements continue in motion until' they are stopped by striking some obstruction, and in Fig. we have shown that the tube 79 may engage the abutment collar 60 on the pusher;

In this connection, it is important to note that the brush spindle 13 makes a full stroke without striking anyobstruction, and without injury to either the spindle or its brush 14. The brush passes from the tube 79 through al central opening in the abutmentcollar which contacts with said tube, and thenA into the tubular member 59, as shown in Fig. 5.

Since the several spring pressed members 60 andA 79ersmovable independently of each other, it willl be understood that the condition shown by Fig. 5 may exist at one of the bottle compartments in a row, While the other compartments in the same row contain bottles that are being held and brushed as shown in Fig.

The tubes '79 contain liquid which serves as a lubricant forv the rotating brushes. This liquid f may be; water transmitted by the brushes from the bottles to the tubes 79. rlhe ends of said tubes are preferably contracted at 94 to provide internal obstructions which retain liquid in the tubes.

We claim:

l. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, means for supplying cleansing liquid to the interior of the bottle, a tube adapted to engage the mouth of the bottle, and a brush movable into and out of said tube so as to pass into and out of the bottle, said tube being approximately horizontal and provided with internal obstructions whereby liquid is conned therein.

2. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a bottle carrier wherein the bottles are supported in approximately horizontal positions to retain cleansing liquid in the bottles, approximately horizontal tubes adapted to engage the mouths of the bottles, rotary brushes in said tubes, and means whereby the brushes are moved into and out of the bottles to operate in the liquid therein, the tubes having internal obstructions to retain portions of the liquid in said tubes.

3. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a bottle carrier wherein the bottles are supported in approximately horizontal positions to retain cleansing liquid in the bottles, approximately horizontal tubes adapted to engage the mouths of the bottles, rotary brushes in said tubes, and means whereby the brushes are moved into and out of the bottles to operate in the liquid therein, the brushes being adapted to transmit liquid from the bottles to the tubes, and the tubes being contracted near their ends to retain portions of the liquid in said tubes.

4. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a holder for the bottle to be cleaned, a cleaning member, and adjustable means whereby said cleaning member is forced into and out of the bottle held by said holder, said adjustable means including gage members spaced apart to determine the stroke of said cleaning member, and an indicating member, said gage members being provided with seats whereby said indicating member is held between them to indicate the size of the bottles to be cleaned.

5. In a bottle cleaning apparatus, a holder for the bottle to be cleaned, said holder being adapted to receive bottles of different lengths, a cleaning member, and adjustable means whereby said cleaning member is forced into and out of the bottle held by said holder, said adjustable means including gage members spaced apart to determine the stroke of said cleaning member, the space between said gage members being equal to the length of the bottle to be cleaned, and an indicating member equal to the length of the bottle to be cleaned, said gage members being provided with seats whereby said indicating member is held between them to indicate the size of the bottle conforming to the adjustment.

6. In a bottle brushing apparatus, al holder for the bottle to be brushed, said holder being adapted to receive bottles of different lengths, a brushing member, and adjustable means whereby said brushing member is forced into and out of the bottle held by said holder, said adjustable means including gage members spaced apart to determine the stroke of said brushing member, the space between said gage members being equal to the length of the bottle to be cleaned, and said, gage members being provided with seats whereby a bottle of the length to be cleaned is held between them to indicate the size of the bottles conforming to the adjustment.

7. In a bottle brushing apparatus, a holder for the bottle to be brushed, said holder being adapted to receive bottles of different dimensions, a brush, and adjustable driving means whereby v said brush is forced into and out of the bottle l2@ held by said holder, said adjustable means including gage members adapted to receive a bottle between them to determine the stroke of said brushing member, one of said gage members being adjustable to provide for bottles of diierent 25 lengths, the space between said gage members being equal to the length of the bottle to be brushed, and an operating member secured to said adjustable gage member to provide for the variations in the stroke of said brush.

8. In a bottle brushing apparatus, a holder for the bottle to be brushed, said holder being adapted to receive bottles of diierent dimensions, a brush, and driving means whereby said brush is forced into and out of the bottle held by said holder, 35' said means being adjustable to determine the stroke of said brush, said means including a lever through which the power is transmitted, gage members carried by said lever and adapted to re- 1 ceive a bottle between them, one of said gage members being adjustable to provide for bottles of different lengths, the space between said gage members being equal to the length of the bottle to be brushed, and an operating member pivoted to said adjustable gage member to provide for the variations in the stroke of said brush.

9. In a bottle brushing apparatus, holders for the bottles, brushes to act on the inner faces of n the bottles held by said holders, a gear housing, i5@V driving gears located in said housing and connected to the respective brushes, means for reciprocating said housing to move the brushes into and out of the bottles, and means whereby said driving gears are rotated in the reciprocating housing, the last mentioned means including a pulley carried by said gear housing, a driving pulley elongated in the direction oi travel oi said housing, and a belt passing around said pulleys and adapted to travel lengthwise of said elongated driving pulley.

10. In a bottle brushing apparatus, holders for the bottles, brushes to act on the inner faces of the bottles held by said holders, a gear housing, driving gears located in said housing and connected to the respective brushes, means for reciprocating said housing to move the brushes into and out of the bottles, and. means whereby said driving gears are rotated in the reciprocating housing, the last mentioned means including a pulley carried by said gear housing, a driving pulley elongated in the direction of travel of said housing, a belt passing around said pulleys and adapted to travel lengthwise of said elongated driving pulley, and a belt shifter moving with said housing and contacting with said belt to move'the latter along the driving pulley;

11. In a bottle brushing apparatus, holders for the bottles, brushes to act on the inner faces of the bottles held by said holders, a gear housing,

driving gears located in said housing and conhousing and contacting with said belt to move the latter along the driving pulley.

12. In a bottle brushing apparatus, a bottle carrier provided with approximately horizontal bottle compartments having bottom walls on which the bottles are loosely supported, each of said approximately horizontal compartments having a tapering end portion with an inturned shoulder at its small end providing a seat for the mouth end face of the bottle, the tapering walls of said bottle holder diverging from said inturned seat to direct the mouth of the loose bottle onto said seat, yielding pushers movable onto the closed ends of the loose bottles to shift them longitudinally and laterally along said bottom walls, to brush-receiving positions wherein the mouth ends of the bottles engage said inturned seats, a group of tubes alined with the respective bottles and having open ends adapted to extend into and adapted to engage the mouths of the bottles, said open ends or" the tubes being smaller than the internal diameter of said seats, a group of independently yieldable springs for holding each tube in the mouth of the bottle to be brushed, and reciprocatory brushes adapted to reciprocate through said ends of the tubes so as to pass into and out of the bottles.

13. In a bottle brushing apparatus, a bottle carrier, an abutment normally movable onto the bottom of a bottle in said carrier, a tube normally movable onto the mouth of the bottle, means for moving said abutment and tube toward each other so that said abutment and tube are in engagement with each other when a bottle is not interposed therebetween, and a reciprocating rotary brush movable through said tube, said abutment being provided with an opening alined with sai tube to permit an unobstructed full stroke of the brush beyond said tube.

JAMES L. HEROLD. JOSEPH W. DAWSON. 

